The Rough Guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

~ Tony Pinchuck (Author), Barbara McCrea (Author), Donald Reid (Author) "It's not possible to see everything that South Africa has to offer in one trip  and we don't suggest you try..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A SUPERB SERIES THAT NEVER MISSES A BEAT

New York Newsday

Product Description

INTRODUCTION

South Africa is a large, diverse and incredibly beautiful country. The size of France and Spain combined, it varies from the picturesque Garden Route towns of the Western Cape to the raw stretch of subtropical coast in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It’s also one of the great cultural meeting points of the African continent, a fact obscured by years of enforced racial segregation, but now manifest in the big cities. Yet South Africa is also something of an enigma; it has the best travel facilities on the African continent, but also the most difficult surface to scratch. After so long as an international pariah, the "rainbow nation" is still struggling to find its identity.

Many visitors are pleasantly surprised by South Africa’s excellent infrastructure, which draws favourable comparison with countries such as Australia or the United States. Good air links and bus networks, excellent roads and a growing number of first-class B&Bs and guesthouses make South Africa a perfect touring country and – with the dramatic slide of the rand in 2001 – a cheap one too for visitors. For those on a budget, rapidly mushrooming backpacker hostels and backpacker buses provide an efficient means of exploring.

However, as a visitor, you’ll have to make an effort to meet members of the country’s African majority on equal terms. Apartheid may be dead, but its heritage continues to shape South Africa in a very physical way. The country was organized for the benefit of whites, so it’s easy to get a very white-orientated experience of Africa. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the layout of towns and cities, where African areas – often desperately poor – are usually tucked out of sight.

Some visitors are surprised to discover that South Africa’s population doesn’t reduce simply to black and white. The country’s majority group are Africans (77 percent of the population); whites make up 11 percent, followed by coloureds (9 percent) – the descendants of white settlers, slaves and Africans, who speak English and Afrikaans and comprise the majority in the Western Cape. Indians (3 percent), most of whom live in KwaZulu-Natal, came to South Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century as indentured labourers.

Crime isn’t the indiscriminate phenomenon that press reports suggest, but it is an issue. Really, it’s a question of perspective – taking care but not becoming paranoid. Statistically, the odds of becoming a victim are highest in downtown Johannesburg, where violent crime is a daily reality. Other cities present a reduced risk – similar to, say, some parts of the United States; many country areas are safe by any standards.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 931 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 3rd edition (July 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858288533
• ISBN-13: 978-1858288536
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,500,903 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > History > Africa > Swaziland
  #7 in	Books > History > Africa > Lesotho

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent informative guide, very reliable, February 9, 1999

By	Mike Smuts ([e-mail] / www.afrilux.... (Pretoria, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: South Africa: The Rough Guide, First Edition (Rough Guides) (Paperback)

I am a tour operator and registered tour guide in South Africa. On a recent research trip of more than 10 000 km/ 7 000 miles I used the Rough Guide to go and look for the sites and places most people miss out on when following the well-known tourist routes. The Guide proved to be an invaluable asset in this regard and I strongly recommend it to foreigners and South Africans alike. Its information on the country's history, personalities, culture, visa-requirements, health issues, places of interest, etc. is quite incredible.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide, esp. in comparison to the LP, February 25, 2006

By	Amanda (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

I lived in SA for about 5 months. We had both the LP and the Rough Guide and although it was nice to have both, I would recommend the Rough Guide if you were just going to choose one book. I found the Rough Guide to be a little more accurate in the prices listed and the organization to be far superior to the LP. The LP was helpful with more general information, but the Rough Guide provided more information on the little, out of the way places. If you plan on using hostels, it is imperative to pick up a Coast to Coast after arriving. It is a compelation of hostels, organized by area, that is put out by the hostels of SA. It also includes hostels in Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique. Most hostels involved with the book have free copies that you can take.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent companion, February 5, 2004

By	jay noseberger (Cape Town) - See all my reviews

Accurate and well-researched book. The recommendations are generally spot on. Nicely written, it's like travelling around with a friend who really knows the place. As someone who lives in South Africa, it's reassuring to know that there are books that are able to talk frankly about the crime situation without getting into a froth of paranoia.